Democrat Gov. Phil Bredesen will be succeeded today by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam. Meanwhile, the Tennessee General Assembly began its 2011 session this week with Republican majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
It will be interesting how that works out. There undoubtedly will be much cooperation, but also some differences.
Finances, of course, will be involved in most of the big questions.
The legislators — for the first time in Tennessee history — elected a woman as the speaker of the House of Representatives. She is Rep. Beth Harwell.
The House vote, courteously, was unanimous, as all the Democrats, noting the overwhelming Republican majority, joined their Republican colleagues and one independent to pick Harwell. She is the former state Republican Party chairwoman and a former political science professor.